Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen): Two-Minute Review
The Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) is unsurprisingly more of an evolution than a revolution, but Amazon has done a great job over the years providing some of the best smart speakers around (opens in a new tab) that don't cost a fortune, and it keeps up the tradition well.
It's probably not worth upgrading to the new Echo Dot with Clock if you already own an older Echo Dot (especially the 4th generation). However, many of us own more than one Echo Dot. After all, they're the ideal gadgets to spread around your home to make things smarter.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th generation) with clock takes a few seconds to set up. We set it up by half paying attention to the Alexa app on our phone and half paying attention to something on the TV. Of course, it's very quick if you already have an existing Echo setup at home. However, even if you don't, it's remarkably intuitive.
As with the clockless Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen), it now has a room temperature sensor that is perfectly tailored to specific Alexa skills. In the US, Eero is built in to extend your Wi-Fi, but this feature has yet to make its way elsewhere.
There are also new touch gestures next to the existing buttons at the top, allowing you to do things like snooze an alarm (and snooze only, no mute allowed) or pause music. It's not essential, but it's a nice bonus if you need a bedside alarm.
The main strength of the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock is the seemingly endless supply of Alexa Skills. Whether you're looking to entertain the kids with a spoken word game, check sports scores, or find different radio stations, there's a skill for you.
And of course you can set routines related to your smart home. For example, you might be woken up every morning by an alarm, followed by your favorite radio station, and the lights on.
On the listening side, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock is slightly better than before. It now has a larger 1,73-inch front-facing speaker that delivers more bass and better range than the 4th-gen version. It's not quite as loud as the more expensive and thicker Echo (2020), but we wouldn't expect much more from this size.
There is also its clock function. An LED display in the middle of the speaker can display the time, alarms, weather, and even song titles. Most of the time it will show the time, but it's a nice added feature for those times when you don't want to keep asking Alexa what time it is.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock is a reliable all-rounder. Its audio quality won't satisfy audiophiles, but that's not the point of this nice and simple speaker. Instead, it's about convenience and making your home smarter for you and your family. He easily succeeds on this front by simply working and working well.
Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th generation): price and release date
- Available in UK, US and Australia
- Price: € 59.99 / € 64.99 / AU € 99
- Available in two colors
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock is available directly from Amazon and is often discounted. Although its MSRP is cheap, you'll often find it discounted as part of any Amazon sale. That goes for all color palettes, with the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock available in Glacier White and Cloud Blue.
Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Generation): Design and Features
- New temperature sensor
- center led screen
- Touch gestures and buttons
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock features the same spherical design as the previous generation. It measures 3,9 x 3,5 inches and weighs just over 300g. You can hold it in a hand a little bigger than a tennis ball but not as big as a football.
Its design means it fits just about anywhere in the house, from the kitchen counter to the nightstand. It only has one cable, the power cable, plus the 3,5mm audio jack.
At the top of the Echo Dot are volume buttons, an Alexa action button, and the mute button for those times when you don't want to be heard. The bottom of the dial glows red each time it's activated, so you know when you're left alone.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th generation) with clock now also has touch gestures. Tapping the top of the speaker pauses a song, ends a call, or snooze an alarm. There's no way to turn off the alarm with taps, but it's a time saver compared to talking to him.
A new temperature sensor is also perfect for anyone with a smart heating system. You can assign certain Alexa routines to run once the temperature gets too low or too high.
The LED display in the center of the device shows the time, sets alarms, or a song title if you're listening to music. It's bright and vibrant without being distracting. Again, perfect for the nightstand.
Using the Amazon Echo Dot (5th generation) with Clock is very easy. Just say "Alexa" followed by seemingly any request and Alexa will do the hard work for you. Even when we spoke quietly, they still listened to us. The Alexa app is also easy to use and wants to regularly suggest new things you can do. This is great if you're new to Alexa and need help figuring out where to start. You will soon be impressed by the variety of options here.
Qualification of characteristics: 4/5
Amazon Echo Dot with clock (5th generation): sound quality
- well balanced sound
- Support for all major music services.
- enhanced bass
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock apparently supports every music service you can think of. This includes Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, and Amazon Music. While it won't give you the best music quality, if the service supports it, the device certainly makes things simpler.
Like the Amazon Echo Dot (XNUMXth generation), it does have a bit of bass, but that means you get a louder experience than you'd expect for the size. Be careful when turning up the volume, though, as when playing songs like Muse's Hysteria, we found distortion to be a problem at high volumes.
Subtler music like God Only Knows by the Beach Boys and Yesterday by the Beatles sounds a bit thin. If you're looking for clarity and a speaker that conveys the intricacies of Under Pressure, you won't find it here. Not that we really expect it. Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock is more about accessibility than music quality.
Sound Quality Score: 3/5
Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen): Value
- Good price… and there will be many offers
- The ease of use makes it a great buy.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock makes owning a smart speaker very accessible in terms of price and ease of use.
You'll soon wonder how you ever lived without this type of speaker, and having a clear clock face on the front helps even more.
Value Rating: 5/5